WILMINGTON, VT — A Georgia man died following a skiing incident at Whiteface Mountain.
New York State Police responded to NYS Route 86 at Whiteface Mountain at approximately 1:03 p.m. on Feb. 4 for a reported skiing incident.
Michael E. Vacek Jr., 44, of Atlanta, Georgia, had been reported missing at approximately 10 a.m. by the group of friends he was skiing with.
The report was made to Whiteface Mountain Ski Patrol after Vacek failed to return while skiing the trails.
Whiteface Mountain Ski Patrol initiated a search and located Vacek in the tree line along the Upper/Lower Skyward Trail.
A Ski Patrol Supervisor was notified, and Vacek was transported to the medical building, where life-saving measures continued by local fire and rescue departments but were unsuccessful.
Vacek was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Essex County Coroner responded and ordered the removal of the body, which was transported to Glens Falls Hospital.
An autopsy was conducted at Glens Falls Hospital by forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Sikirica.
The autopsy determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the chest.
The manner of death is pending the results of toxicology.
The investigation remains ongoing.
